Apparatus for distilling coal.



No. 878,490. PATENTED FEB.11, 1908. J. W. AYLSWORTH & F. L. DYBR.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING GOAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

IIHIIIHI Hllllllll IH IIIHH No. 878,490. PATENTED FEB. 11

J. W. AYLSWORTH & P. L. DYER. APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING GOAL.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25,1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS W. AYL SWORTH, 'OF EAST ORANGE, AND FRANK L. DYER, OF MONTOLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR DISTILLING COAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application filed May 25. 1906- Serial No. 318.690-

owing is; a de- I May 25, 1906, we describe and claim a new smokeless coal, consisting of bituminous or .soft "coal, from which the smoke-producing elements have been eliminated, and We refer enerally to the preferred apparatus for proucing the same.

Our present invention contemplates an apparatus, which has been devised for the purpose of eliminating the smoke-producing elements from soft coals, although other materials may be successfully treated, since the process followed, is a special distillation, which is applicable to the treatment of other distillable substances.

2' 2 of Fig. 1, Fig. 3, a section on the line a section on the line 33-' of Fig. 1, Fig; 4,

a section on the line 44 of 'Fig. 1, 5, 55 of Fig. 1. p

In all of these views, corresponding arts are represented by the same-numeras of reference.

In its essential features, the improved disti-lling apparatus is similar to the distilling apparatus'which we have described in a concurrent application No. 318,692 filed May 25,1906, and the method followed incarrying out the distillin operation is, in its general aspects, si ar to that described and claimed in said application. In the concurrent a plication, we have broadly claimed the distil ing apparatus, and we propose in thepresent case to describe and claim the specific apparatus especially adapted for use in the treatment of soft coalsforthe elimina- Apaplaratus for Distion of; their 'smoke producing ingredients,

but we will also describe herein the generic method followed in treating such materials.

The still 1 is a long vertical tube, preferably flarin from top to bottom, so as. .to facilitate the passage of material through the same. At the top is a hopper 2, beneath which is a buffer hop er 3, gate valves 4 and 5 at the bottom of'tfie hopper 2 and at the bottom of the buffer hop er'3, respectively being alternately operated so as to permit successive charges of solid material toenter.

the still, without breaking the seal-at the upper end. These gate valves are intermittently operated by any suitable mechanism, as for example, the levers 66, actuated by a-cam 7, slowly driven by a motor 8, as shown. At its bottom, the still is provided with intermittently operated gate valves 9 and 10, actuated by similar mechanism, and'opens into a receiving bin 11, in which the material may cool somewhat before being discharged into the atmosphere. Surrounding the still is a furnace 12, havin grate bars 13 and supplied with air through a flue 14 which envelops the still, and havin an inlet 15, leading to the atmosphere. series of inclined wings 16 made preferably of copper extend through the walls of the still and project into the flue 14 and within 1 the still (see Fig. 5) whereby the material passing through the still will be checked 'in ts descent, and pressure on the still walls, due to the height of the column of material,

will be relieved and the materialiwill be more or less agitated. The principal func-' tion, however, of these inclined wings, is to act as heat conductors for carrying off the heat from the material into the flue 14, so as to heat the .air' passing up through the flue to the furnace. This acts as a regenerative device, heat being abstracted from the treated coal, or other material, and being' imparted to the incoming combustion air. The inclined wings are, therefore, made preferably of copperor aluminium, so as to readily conduct heat. Mounted in the furnace 12, is a drum 17 (see Fig. 4), having a spiral flue 18, which opens .into a space between the still and a jacket 19. Outside of the jacket 19 is a second jacket 20, acting as a stack for carrying ofl" the products of combustion from the furnace 12 and connecting at its upper end with a stack flue 21. Inclined wings 22, similar to the wings 16 extend into the still and pass through the WfilllQ, so that heat from the products of combustion assing through the stack, will be conducted and lmparted to the material undergoing distillation. The inclined wings 22, alsoserve to check the passage of the material through the still, to partially support the same, and to kee the material in move-- ment, so as to perrnit'the more readypassage of the distillation gases through the material, as will be explained. At the u per end ofthe still (Fig. 2) -a third series o 1nclined copper plates 23 are arran ed.w1th1n the still and extend into the stac 20, so as to convey heat from the roducts of combustion to the material wit in the still. The distillation zone'of the still is formed between perforations 24 and 25, the former being located within the upper end ofsthe chamber, formed by the partition 19. rounding the perforations 25 13 a jacket 26, from which a pipe 27 leads to a condenser 28 of any suitable type, that shown being provided with a coil 29, through which cooling water circulates. The distillate separated by the condenser falls into a tank 30, from which it may be drawn off by a pipe 31. Leading from the condenser 28 is a pipe 32,

, connected with an inlet'to a pump, blower this type, the operations may be carried on below or above atmospheric pressure, and

or compressor 33, the discharge from which connects by a p'pe 34, with an inlet to the flue 18 of the drum 17. e 1

With the apparatus shown, rovision is made for carrying'on the distil ing'process at atmos heric pressure, and to this end a pipe 35 eads from the upper part of the still to the furnace 12, so as to carry ofi any excess gases; accumulating in the still. In our app ication filed on even date herewith, we describe means by which, with a still of gate valves 9 and 10. As the material assesover the inclined wings 23, heat will" e imparted to the same, since these wings will be ept hot by the products ofcombustion from I the furnace 1 2, and, of course, the material will also be heated through the walls of the still. As the material reaches the distilling zone between the erforations 24 and 25, 1t will encounter a 0w of non-oxidizing heated gases circulated by the pump or compressor 33 through'the flue 18, Fig. 4. thence between the still and jacket 19, into the perforations 24:, the gases leaving the still through the prising an e perforations and'pass'ing through 'the 'condenser 28, by which the condensable ingreroducts of combustion from the furnace.

are should be taken soas to maintain the tem erature of the circulating gases between 550 and 800 F., so as to ellminate the desired smoke-producing ingredients; but of course, the amount of fuel used and the temperature will be regulated according to the material to be treated. As the gases accumulate in the still in excess of those required in the circulating system, they will esoa e through the lpipe 35, and be consumed in t e furnace or t ey may be used industrially in any other desired way. The treated material leaving the still passes over the inclined wings l6 and imparts heat to the same so as to heat the incoming air to. the furnace, as explained.

' Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. An im roved distillin apparatus comfdngated still, a nace surround- 1ng' sald still, a stack therefor inclosing the still, a heating coil in the furnace, a closed circulating system including said heating coil and a distilling zone maintained within the still, substantially as set forth] 2. A distilling apparatus comprising an elongated still having means between its ends for admitting heated gases thereinto and means at another point between its ends for discharging the heated gases carrying the vaporized distillate therefrom, and a furnace surrounding the still for heating the still and for heating the gasesbefore their admission into the still, substantially as set forth.

3. An improved distilling a paratus, comprising a vertical still, means or introducing material at the upper end and means for re moving material from the lower end of the,

still, a furnace surrounding the still, a stack therefrom inclosing the still, a heating coil in the furnace and a closed circulating system, including said heatin coil, and a distilling zone maintained wit 'n the still, substantially as set forth.

4.- In distilling ap aratus,'the combination with a-still, of a series'of inclined Wings extending through the walls thereof and opening into a flue surrounding the still, -substantially asset forth. g

5. In a distilling apparatus, the combinationwitha still, of a reheater adjacent to the same, a jacket surrounding the still and forming a flue leading to said heater, and a series of wings extending from within the still through its walls into said flue, substantially as set forth.

6. In a distillin ap' alatus, the combination with a still, a re eater adjacent to the same, a jacket surrounding the still and forming a flue forcarrying ofi the products of combustion from said reheater, and a series of inclined wings extending from within the still through 1ts walls and into said flue, substantially asset forth.

7-. In a distillin ap aratus, the combina- 10 tion with a vertica st of a spiral reheating coil surround the same, connected at its ends with a distilling zone maintained within the still, a acket surrounding the still and connected with the discharge from the reheating coil, a second jacket exterior of the same, and a series of inclined Wing's extendingfrom within the still through its walls and through the first mentioned jacket, substantially as set forth.

This specification signed and witnessed this 24th day of May, 1906.

JONAS W. AYLSWORTH. FRANK L. DYER. Witnesses:

ANNA R. KLEHM, JOHN A. BoEnME. 

